Basement demolition in York (Toronto)
Most basement demolition is undoing a previous owner's weekend, back to the slab and the foundation walls. The old City of York is 1910s and 1920s brick semis with plaster and lath, many converted to apartments and now being turned back. That tells us how much of what we will find is drywall and truss and how much is panelling, plaster and glued-down tile.
York (Toronto), on the ground.
Lots under 20 feet wide mean hand-carry to a street bin on nearly every job. The stair is sealed, upstairs floors are protected, and framing, ceilings and flooring go out to a 20 yard bin while the furnace and panel stay untouched.
Read more about demolition in York (Toronto) or the full basement demolition service page.
On the ticket.
Dust walls at the stair; upstairs floors protected on the route to the bin
Water and power isolated by licensed trades; old bathroom plumbing capped
Framing, drywall, panelling, insulation, dropped ceilings and flooring out
Old bathrooms, bars, closets and built-ins removed
Furnace, water heater, panel and services left in place and protected
Slab and foundation walls swept clean and photographed at handover
Paper first.
A non-structural basement strip-out usually needs no permit; the finish or second unit that follows does, and a new foundation cut needs an engineer. Toronto Building issues the permit; the former City of York has had no separate office since 1998.
- A non-structural basement strip-out usually needs no permit. The finish or second unit that follows does.
- Cutting a new side entrance through the foundation, or lowering the floor, is structural: permit, engineer and a separate quote.
- Pre-1990 houses: vermiculite insulation, floor tile and duct tape can contain asbestos. A designated-substances survey comes first (O. Reg. 278/05).
The plates on every truck: WSIB, insurance, demolition permits, asbestos survey, utility locates, crew training.
| Driver | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Floor area | Square footage going back to concrete. |
| Finishes and how it was built | Plaster, tile and framed-over ductwork slow the strip. |
| Access | A walk-out with a driveway beside it is one job; a narrow stair through the kitchen is another. |
| Bins and tipping | Bin count by weight. |
| Permit and utility locates | Whether a permit applies and whether we book the locates. |
The number comes from a site walk. Concrete cutting for a new entrance and underpinning are quoted separately.
Usually not for the strip-out. The finish or second unit that follows needs a permit from the City of Toronto (Toronto Building), and any load-bearing wall needs one before it comes out.
Three days on a typical basement: contain and disconnect, strip to concrete, sweep and sign off. [Kam confirms for a [n] sq ft basement.]
Sometimes, with dust walls and a separate exit. Noise and vibration are the real issue. We tell you honestly at the site walk whether it works.